Typical County ER Fun
by Le ron
Summary: a one shot carby.... "drama strikes the ER..." dum dum duuummm...!


Typical County ER Fun  
  
This is a rather long short story of mine. A definite carby!! Should  
probably have put it into chapters but you know...  
Anyway ... the usual... I do not own blah blah blah!!!  
Reviews would be appreciated thank you muchly!!  
  
P.s if you have read anything else by me.. then you will probably recognise  
a few bits.. this is kinda a rewrite on a previous fic!  
  
As Abby took a blood sample from a patient in the ER, her mind wandered to the only thing that she had been able to think about for the past week or so, Carter running off to Africa.  
  
She knew how badly he wanted to go, and she knew she couldn't stop him, but she couldn't bring herself to tell Carter that she was scared.  
  
Abby withdrew the needle and finished off what she had to do, with an "all done" and a smile to the young girl lying in the bed.  
  
Every time she asked Carter if he was going, he would say he hadn't decided yet. But she knew. She knew that in his mind, he was going, she just wished he would talk to her about it.  
  
Walking past Admit; Abby dropped the vial absent-mindedly into the labs tray, ready for collection.  
  
If Carter ever really did talk to her, she still wasn't quite sure what she would say. She knew she pushed him away most of the time; it was like she had built a wall for herself, to keep herself, and others, safe from the pain that seemed to cling to her life, but he was the only person who had ever even wanted to get past it, let alone come close, and save her.  
  
Abby pushed open the door to the lounge and stepped inside. The very man she had been thinking about was sat at the table, coffee in one hand. He looked up and smiled at her. "Hey" Carter said warmly, "How's your shift going?"  
  
"Oh, its just typical County ER fun," she replied. "I've got a girl in exam 2, who won't admit her boyfriend is beating her."  
  
"You need any help?" he enquired, genuinely concerned.  
  
"No, its ok, I think it's best if we keep to female doctors with her." He nodded, understanding.  
  
The small talk came to a standstill, and silence fell.  
  
Thinking, Abby decided to get on and ask him. "You're going to go to Africa, aren't you?"  
  
Carter looked up from the charts, surprised, as she held her breath.  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Don't play games with me Carter, just tell me straight. 'Cause you can't even talk to your own girlfriend about it but you can talk to everyone else and to be pretty honest, I think that sucks." Abby sighed; it felt good to get it all out there.  
  
Carter stood up and took a step towards her. "Abby, I haven't talked to you much about it because I was scared of what you would say, if you want me to be honest."  
  
"Yes! I do want you to be honest! This involves me too!"  
  
Carter smiled slightly. "Ok, I'll tell you everything I know, ok?"  
  
"Are you going John?" she interrupted him, staring at a spot on the floor.  
  
Carter sighed. "Yes."  
  
Suddenly the door burst open and Haleh's head appeared. "Carter, your patient's crashing in Trauma 1!"  
  
Carter turned his head to face Abby, "I'll be back." She nodded, turning towards her locker, as Carter rushed out of the room.  
  
*********  
  
Susan popped her head around the door of the lounge.  
  
"Anna, the girl in exam 2, her boyfriend's waiting in chairs. I told him she was still having tests done, but he's getting impatient. Just watch out, ok?"  
  
"Sure." Abby replied. "Has the social worker seen her yet?"  
  
Susan stepped inside the lounge and headed for the well-worn coffee machine. "No, she's on her way down, but I have a feeling Anna will be to scared to say anything."  
  
"Ok, well, I'm on a break now, but I'll go see if she's ok when I get back" Abby replied as she headed for the door.  
  
"Thanks" replied Susan.  
  
Abby smiled, turned and left the lounge.  
  
*******  
  
"Abby!" Carter called as he spotted her coming out of the doctor's lounge. She stopped and turned to face him. "Do you have time for a coffee?"  
  
Minutes later they were sat across from each other in 'their' booth at Magoo's.  
  
"You're mad at me aren't you?" Carter asked her.  
  
"No, I'm not mad, I'm just... worried." Abby stared into her mug."  
  
"Abby, they need doctors over there, the need doctors to take a risk." Explained Carter. "And it'll only be for a few weeks."  
  
She nodded slowly. "But that's not what bugging you. What is it Abby?"  
  
"My breaks almost over" she stood up.  
  
"Abby, tell me." His voice was full of concern.  
  
She lifted her head and looked into his eyes, "You promised you wouldn't go anywhere. You said you wouldn't leave me" Her voice was quiet. "And yeah, I know I'm being selfish but...if you loved me you and I needed you...."  
  
"Abby, you know that's not what this is about!" He stood up and stepped towards her, resting his hand against her cheek. He loved her; she knew he loved her, so why was she saying this? "I do love you, but..."  
  
"Then don't leave me," she said simply, before turning, and walking out.  
  
******  
  
"How much longer do I have to wait??!! I've been her over an hour and NO- ONE has let me see my girlfriend!" The man was standing by the desk in the centre of the ER, yelling at the two clerks, Jerry and Frank. Both were attempting to get the man to sit back down, but his anger was worsening.  
  
******  
  
Abby sat beside Anna's bed. She had been there for most of Abby's shift and Abby felt the need to see if she could help.  
  
Abby began slowly. "Anna, you're almost to set to go home, Dr Lewis just needs to give you a prescription for your meds, then your boyfriend can take you home." Anna's head shot up, and Abby could see the fear in her eyes at the mention of her boyfriend.  
  
"Marcus is out in chairs, he's been waiting for you for a while." Anna's eyes widened. "What have you told him?" Anna seemed to find her voice.  
  
"We haven't told him anything, apart from that you were having some tests. Anna, we don't have to tell him anything, if you'll tell the social worker the truth." Abby leant forward. "We can make sure you're safe."  
  
"I...I cant." A tear began to fall down Anna's cheek. Abby reached out and took her hand.  
  
"It's ok, you can tell me, Anna."  
  
Anna opened her mouth to speak just as the door burst open and was filled with a large man, who looked extremely angry.  
  
"What's going on?! Anna!" Abby stood up and planted herself between the bed and the door. Her small figure seemed nothing compared to that of Marcus Andrews, but her expression told him that she wasn't going to move. "Anna isn't going anywhere." She said calmly but firmly. Marcus stepped inside, letting the door slam shut behind him. "Oh yes she is" he replied, equally as firmly. "What have you told them Anna? I swear. If you ..."  
  
Abby cut him off. "Mr Andrews, Anna has not told us anything we couldn't have figured out for ourselves! Now, I think it's time you left before..."  
  
"Before what? WHAT are you going to do, huh?" He stepped forward a couple of paces, and was leaning over Abby, tall and menacing. But, true to her patient, Abby did not move.  
  
"Oh, so, its like that is it? Well, if you wont let me take my own girlfriend home, then I'll just have to force you to!" And with that, Marcus swiped at Abby, knocking her to the ground.  
  
She began to stand back up, but Marcus wasn't having that, he kicked her in the ribs and Abby flew backwards into a cabinet, knocking it down across the doorway. Feeling bruised and in terrible pain, Abby did not move for a moment, and then saw Anna fighting to stop Marcus picking her up.  
  
"No! Leave her! Anna......!" Abby again tried to stand.  
  
"I'VE HAD JUST ABOUT ENOUGH OF YOU, NURSE!"  
  
*****  
  
Susan headed towards Exam 2, when suddenly her eye caught the half blinded window into the room. "Oh my God," she breathed. The door was blocked with fallen furniture. She turned around and raced back towards the desk, where Frank, Carter and Pratt were standing, retrieving charts or writing on the board.  
  
Arriving out of breath she spoke, "Frank, Call security! It's Abby, I need some help over here!"  
  
All Carter heard was "it's Abby" and he dropped the handful of charts he had and ran out from the desk towards where Susan was headed.  
  
*****  
  
A small crowd had assembled outside the small exam room. Susan was pacing up and down nervously, and Carter was leaning against the window, trying to see what was going on.  
  
"Oh my God," he breathed. The scene inside the window scared him. Abby was lying against the back wall, hardly conscious, and a huge angry man was storming around, like a caged animal, occasionally glancing at the window. A patient lay in the bed in the centre of the room. She looked frightened.  
  
He could vaguely hear Susan behind him, explaining the situation to the security guards standing by the door.  
  
Carter spun around to face the group. "What the hell are we going to do?! Standing around here talking isn't gonna get Abby out!"  
  
"We can't do anything that will agitate Marcus, Carter." Replied Susan.  
  
"Agitate! Hell, I wanna smack the guy, never mind 'agitate' him! God!" Carter spun and smacked his fist against the wall, and then rested his forehead on the window. His eyes were completely on Abby. His instincts were telling him to barge in there, and carry her away to safety, but his head told him it wasn't that simple.  
  
"Carter, you have to calm down, we're doing everything we can." Susan soothed.  
  
"So anyone got a plan or are we gonna watch them all day huh?" asked Pratt suddenly. "We're waiting for......" began one of the guards.  
  
"Waiting! What's that gonna do? I say we bust our way in there, and take him down! There are more of us than there is of him! And if he gets anymore pissed, we'll sedate him! Now, anyone else got a better plan?" Pratt was well known for not really thinking before he acted, but for some reason, his plan seemed like it just might work.  
  
They needed to act quickly, there were two innocent people at stake.  
  
Then, as if from nowhere, Chuny appeared. "The police are about 2 minutes out." She stated to the group.  
  
"So lets go! By the time we get them out, the cops can come in and arrest his ass, and that's it!" Pratt said.  
  
The guards looked at each other, and then at Carter, who broke the silence. "Do it."  
  
"Ok!" Pratt began to take charge. He ordered Chuny to prep a needle, in case they needed it, and gathered Frank, the two guards, and himself around the door. Turning to Susan, he spoke. "You get the patient out as soon as we get the guy. And Carter?" Carter turned away from the window to look at him. "I don't think I need to tell you to get Abby." Carter nodded.  
  
"Ok! One, two... THREE!" The group of men slammed against the door, and it flung open. Wrestling the guy to the ground, they found he wasn't giving up so easily. He yelled and writhed on the floor, not keeping still for a second.  
  
"Chuny! Now!" yelled Pratt. She plunged the needle into Marcus's thigh. Almost instantaneously, the man stopped moving, and they breathed a sigh of relief. Susan and Carter both stepped forward. Carter bent down slowly and scooped up Abby into his arms, carrying her away to safety. She stirred, and he kissed the top of her head. "Its ok baby, I've got you, you're safe now."  
  
******  
  
An hour later, Abby woke up on a bed in the ER. She looked around, disorientated for a moment. Then she heard his voice.  
  
"Hey." One simple word, but it conveyed all the care in the world. She turned towards him, sitting on a chair next to her, his hand clasped over hers. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"My head is killing me."  
  
"Well, that's to be expected!" he smiled gently, and she smiled back.  
  
"Anything else Dr Carter wants to tell me?"  
  
Putting on his 'professional' voice, he said, "Well Miss Lockhart, you suffered concussion from a head trauma, a fractured wrist and rib. Also, considerable bruising to the abdomen."  
  
"Is that all?" she grinned.  
  
Carter leant forward, and gently kissed her. Pulling back slightly, he whispered, "I was so scared. I thought the last time I saw you would be when you were walking away from me."  
  
Slowly, gently, Abby leaned forward, and kissed him back. "You can't get rid of me that easily."  
  
Her face softened. "Good."  
  
"I've been thinking about what you said to me in Magoo's and..."  
  
"John, don't. I..."  
  
"No Abby let me finish. Today, before, I realised what it's like to be scared, worried about, the person you love. I don't want you to go through that." He raised a hand to her face. 'I'm not leaving you."  
  
Abby sighed, and then smiled. "You wouldn't be leaving me, you'd be...on a trip."  
  
He looked at her quizzically. "But you said..."  
  
"Forget what I said. I think you should go."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really. And anyway, anyone with the chance to get a dose of John Truman Carter III is very lucky. I should know," she said as he kissed her again. "Just one condition."  
  
"Anything." he replied.  
  
"Promise you'll come back to me?"  
  
"Of course. I couldn't not come back to you." And he kissed her. Again. 


End file.
